Get your own Free Home PageAfter the High Chair left, Prince Pompadore examined the ground below him. For about a mile stretched a number of ditches, the homes of the people of Ditchville. The high wall surrounding Itchville could be seen to the southwest of the dirty village. Little could be seen in most other directions, except for an expansive range of purple mountains to the northwest and a city a few miles to the northeast. Not extremely far away was the great Impassable Desert, which, although not actually "impassable" was very difficult to cross due to the fact that it was made up of deadly sands that could turn one to dust.
While Pompa was making these observations, a proud-looking Cloud-Pusher flew through the sky toward the solid cloud. The sky creature asked the Prince, in a haughty and dignified voice, "Just what do you think you are doing on my cloud?"
"I was dropped here by a magical High Chair and know of no way to get down," was Pompa's reply.
"Oh, it's easy to get down," retorted the Cloud-Pusher. "Just jump. If you want me to, I'll push you off."
"I meant a safe way down."
"I don't know if you deserve a safe way down. Who are you, anyway?"
"I am Prince Pompadore of Pumperdink."
"Why didn't you tell me you were a Prince in the first place? A member of the Royalty is always welcome on my cloud," said the Cloud-Pusher in a much friendlier voice. "By the way, I am the Lord Kloudster, a member of the Cloud-Pushers' Nobility. Only members of the Nobility possess solid clouds, since they are extremely rare, especially in this part of the sky."
"Well, I'd like to get back to the ground," Pompadore told the lord, "and back to Pumperdink."
"The wind isn't going in the correct direction to get to Pumperdink," explained Kloudster, "so I'll just take you to the nearby city. Someone there may be able to throw you back to Pumperdink."
"Throw me back to Pumperdink?"
"Yes, throw you. That city is known as Pitchville, and the people there have very strong pitching arms. I know of one who threw fifty pounds of supplies to an desert island in the South Nonestic."
Kloudster pushed the solid cloud toward the city of Pitchville. When he reached a spot directly above the city, he lowered his cloud until it was on the ground, in the middle of a wide street. Pompa stepped off of the cloud and the lord moved his burden back into the sky.
Suddenly, a dart hit the ground near Pompadore's feet. It was followed by three more darts. The Prince looked in the direction that the darts were thrown from, and saw a house. Like most Gillikin houses, this one was purple and dome-shaped. Out of an open window flew another dart, which fell very close to the Pumperdinkian Prince.
"Could you be more careful?" yelled Pompa.
"Sorry!" replied a voice from inside the house.
Another voice from inside the house said, "If you had eaten those grapes of accuracy this morning, you wouldn't be missing that target!"
"But those grapes taste horrible!" complained the voice that had first spoken.
Pompa walked down the wide street, taking glimpses into the open windows. The Pitchers were engaged in a variety of activities, but all of them involved throwing. Some were playing darts and some were throwing snacks into their mouths. Two people were playing a card game, throwing the cards down instead of placing them. Board games were being played in a similar manner. A few people were simply throwing balls into the air and catching them. Most of the buildings were houses, but there were some factories that produced the darts, balls, cards, and other game supplies. Prince Pompadore also noticed an orchard where many ripe, yellow peaches grew on trees. Seeing the yellow fruits surprised Pompa, since yellow fruits do not usually grow in the Gillikin Country. He entered the orchard and asked a woman who was picking peaches and throwing them into a basket why yellow fruits were growing in the purple city.
"You must be a stranger here. These are the only peaches growing in the Gillikin Country. And they are not just ordinary peaches," she explained. "These are pitch peaches, the only pitch peaches in the world. It is because of these peaches, especially the pits, that we have such strong pitching arms in this city. We Pitchers live on pitch peaches, grapes of accuracy, and tossed salad."
"Who rules this city?" asked Pompa.
"King Tossenthro, who lives in the castle in the center of town." replied the woman.
"And how do I reach the center of town?" inquired Prince Pompadore.
"Just travel north on Arm Avenue until you reach Pitch Place. Turn left on Pitch Place and keep walking," directed the woman. "You can't miss the castle."
"Thank you and goodbye!" said Pompa.
Prince Pompadore followed the Pitcher's directions and soon reached a bridge to a small island. On the island was a purple marble castle. He crossed the bridge and walked up to the castle doors, where two armored guards were throwing their spears into the air and catching them as they came down. When one of them noticed the Prince, the guard demanded, "Who are you and what business do you have in King Tossenthro's Castle? Speak, before I hurl my spear at you!"
"Pompadore is my name," was the Prince's reply. "I am the Prince of the Kingdom of Pumperdink, and I would like to ask the King to direct me to Pumperdink."
"I've heard of Pumperdink," stated the guard. "I've never been there, but I've been told it's not very far away. Come on in. I think the King will be able to help you."
Pompa followed the guard into the castle. The building was not very big and the Throne Room was the castle's only room. King Tossenthro's Castle also had no roof. It contained a table with bowls of fruit and vegetables on top, a four-poster purplewood bed, and a golden throne, which King Tossenthro was seated on. The King was throwing darts at a target on one of the marble walls with one hand and throwing and catching his amethyst-studded golden crown with the other.
"Pompadore, Prince of Pumperdink!" announced the guard.
"Pumperdink!" exclaimed the King. "I've been there before. We Pitchers often trade our darts for Pumperdinkian marshmallows."
"Well, I'm lost, and I'd like to get back to Pumperdink," stated Pompadore.
"You'll be back in Pumperdink in just a few minutes! Just sit on my throne," said King Tossenthro, arising from his golden chair.
"What good will that do?" asked the Prince.
"My Prime Pitcher will throw you back to Pumperdink!" explained the King. "My throne is constantly being thrown all over Oz by the Prime Pitcher."
Pompa sat down in King Tossenthro's throne. The King told the guard, whose name was Hurler, to summon the Prime Pitcher.
"The Prime Pitcher is the best pitcher in Pitchville," the King told Pompa. "He once threw fifty pounds of supplies to an island in the South Nonestic Ocean. He's not an extremely accurate pitcher, but you'll land pretty close to Pumperdink if you don't land in it."
After King Tossenthro was finished giving Pompa this information, loud footsteps could be heard. Soon, a Giant, at least twice as big as the castle, could be seen through the space that took the place of a roof. This Giant was the Prime Pitcher.
"Throw the throne to Pumperdink!" commanded the King.
The Giant lifted the throne and hurled it through the air. The purple Gillikin Country rolled beneath the soaring chair. Soon, the Impassable Desert could be seen under the throne. The Prime Pitcher had thrown the throne in the wrong direction! Luckily, the throne did not land on the sandy desert, but in a field of green grass in the Land of Ev. The chair disappeared, leaving Prince Pompadore more lost than ever!
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